Chapter 4

The email notification popped up on my phone screen as I was brushing my teeth, and my heart dropped. I spat out the toothpaste and wiped my mouth with a trembling hand.

Subject: The Garden

I didn't need to open it to know who it was from. Arthur Finch, the elderly gardener at the Sterling estate, had been my only ally in that cold, unforgiving world. He had promised to keep an eye on Jake's memorial garden for me after I left.

The message was brief, just a few sentences and two attached images. My fingers shook as I opened…